Post on 29-May-2020
lots more POSITIVE ATTITUDE
FINDINGS FROM THE YOUTH IMPACT WINDHAM COUNTY YOUTH SURVEY
New England Network for Child, Youth & Family Services
Cindy Carraway-Wilson Andi Waisman Melanie Wilson
What young people in windham county say they need to be happy, healthy and productive
JULY 2008
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We would like to express our gratitude to the many individuals who helped us with this project. For recruiting young people for the survey, we thank:
Ann Bolognani, Twin Valley High SchoolLori Greenberg, Leyland and Gray High School
Maryann Spofford, Brattleboro Union High SchoolBethany Larson, Bellows Falls Union High School
Beth Baldwin-Page and Ricky Davidson, Boys and Girls Club of BrattleboroEllenka Wasug-Lott, Boys and Girls Club/Bellows Falls
Peter VanWageningen, Vermont Community High SchoolMary Ide and Erin Marshall, Vermont Adult Learning
Janet Van Alstyne, Compass SchoolKatie Knapp and Bianca Fernandez, Youth Services of Windham County
For providing technical assistance:
Grant Christiansen, Optima ComputersMicheal Kiziltan, BrillianceAdhi Palar, The Tinder Box
Most of all, we thank the 213 young people who generously offered their ideas, opinions and insights. Twenty-two of them went even further and volunteered to become part of the overall Youth ImPact Windham County initiative. We are honored to have them join us as youth advisors and participants
in the task of making Windham County a better place for young people.
Participants in the Windham Youth PhotoVoice Project (including adult sponsors and youth photographers): West River Valley: Lori Greenberg from Leyland and Gray Union High School and Cooper Feiner-Homer; Brattleboro: Ricky Davidson from the Boys and Girls Club of Brattleboro and Autumn Kendell, Zach Gilbeau, and Ann-Marie Bliss; Bellows Falls: Ellenka Wasung-Lott from the Boys and Girls Club and Danielle Southwell from Youth Services Inc., and Crystal Thomson, Jacqueline Cantor
and Abi Baker; and Wilmington: Shelly Park, Sarah Dumaine, Michael Squiers, and Tony Roy.
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INTRODUCTION
etween February and April 2008, New England Network for Child, Youth & Family Services (NEN) administered an online survey to 213 young people between the ages of 15 and 21 in Windham County. NEN is the coordinating agency of Youth ImPact Windham County, a newly formed collaborative effort that brings youth services providers and the local faith community together to improve opportunities for young people in the county. The initiative is federally funded and is one of three such county-wide projects NEN is leading in New England.
The youth survey was part of a community needs assessment meant to inform the coalition partners about needs of young people in the county. But the survey results should find a larger audience as well. They represent a diverse range of youth experience and opinion that communities throughout the county should find invaluable, particularly as they seek ways to effectively address problems such as youth drug use and violence, and enhance opportunities for healthy development. (For more about Youth ImPact and its partners, go to www.nenetwork.org/Youth_Impact/.)
The survey was administered in the following locations:Brattleboro Union High SchoolBellows Falls Union High SchoolLeland and Gray Union High SchoolTwin Valley High SchoolVermont Adult LearningCommunity High School of VermontBoys & Girls Club of BrattleboroBoys & Girls Club of Bellows FallsCompass SchoolYouth Services Inc. of Windham County
In addition, several area clergy referred young people to the survey, and youth in downtown Brattleboro (Harmony parking lot, The Tinder Box and other locations) were surveyed. Young people were promised anonymity, and paid $5 each for participating.
B
The survey asked 19 questions focusing on three themes: the people, places and activities that youth found helpful or encouraging in their communities; the people, places or activities that troubled or upset them; and what youth thought their communities could do to improve life for them and their peers. (See the survey in Appendix A.)
Youth respondents found some questions easy to answer. Asked who or what encouraged them, an overwhelming majority named parents. Asked to name the positive things to do in their areas, a high percentage named sports and recreational activities. Many also seemed to know about and appreciate youth-centered resources such as the Boys & Girls Club.
On other topics, respondents were mixed. School, for instance, was alternately cited as a source of anxiety and inspiration. Spending time in town with friends was noted as a common and popular activity, but frequently youth complained about feeling unwelcome in public spaces, and some reported that they or their friends had been harassed by the police. Some youth mentioned community resources such as the New England Youth Theater, but then noted that they were expensive for many young people. And while the survey itself explicitly named faith institutions as an example of potential support for young people, references to it were entirely absent in youths’ reflections about their communities.
As to the negative aspects of life in their communities, youth seemed in general agreement. The prevalence of drugs was a source of enormous worry to many respondents, either because they feared peers who sell them or use them, or worried for friends caught up in them. A majority of youth said there wasn’t enough to do in their communities, and some linked the lack of constructive, available, and affordable activities to young peoples’ decision to use drugs in the first place. Asked what his town could do for youth, one young man wrote: “Make drugs not the #1 thing to do in Brattleboro.” Another wrote: “I smoke a lot of weed every day. I wish
there were more productive things to do in town but there is simply nothing.”
Many young people also seemed sensitive to the rundown environment of their towns, calling attention to vandalism, litter, decaying buildings and dilapidated neighborhoods.
What would improve life for young people in Windham County? Survey respondents were asked to make three suggestions each. The list included creating more public spaces where young people can congregate; creating more opportunities for physical recreation; reducing drug use, violence and crime; improving the quality of the schools; making jobs more available to young people; improving police-youth relations; cleaning up downtown areas; and making low-cost activities available to young people. Their precise quotes, in answer to this and other survey questions, are found throughout the report, in subsections entitled “Youth Voices.” Quotes in those sections have been lightly edited for grammar and spelling.
WINDHAM PHOTOVOICE PROJECTJust as the Windham County youth survey project was ending, another, related project was beginning, this one meant to gather further information from the county’s young people about how they see their environment. PhotoVoice is a technique of gathering information and expressing opinion that has been used by groups all over the world as a way of promoting positive change. In the local project, small groups of young people from four distinct areas of the county –Bellows Falls, Brattleboro, Wilmington, and the West River Valley – came together for training in the PhotoVoice process, then took two weeks to capture images of the positive and negative things about their communities. The group then reassembled to select its best photos and to write captions for them. Those photos will become a traveling exhibit in the county, and will inform the larger work of the Youth ImPact coalition as it seeks to understand the needs and concerns of young people. The photos appear throughout this report, and in a special section at the end.
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SURVEY FINDINGS
WhO TOOk ThE SURVEY: DEmOgRAPhIcSThe age breakdown of survey respondents is
below. The high numbers of youth between 15
and 18, and the relatively low numbers of youth
between 19 and 21, suggest how much more
visible and accessible the younger population is.
Younger teens can be found in high schools and
at community youth centers; older youth are
dispersed and, in more rural areas of the county,
sometimes isolated.
Sex and race: Fifty-six percent of respondents
were male, 43% female, and 1 percent transgender.
Slightly more than 86% (179) were white; 7% (15)
were bi/multiracial; 3.8% (8) were Hispanic; 1.4%
(3) were African American; and 1.4% (3) identified
themselves as “other.” No youth reported that they
were Asian.
Youth from the following towns are represented
in this survey: Bellows Falls, Brattleboro, Dummer-
ston, Guilford, Jamaica, Putney, S. Newfane, Townsh-
end, Vernon, Wardsboro, Westminster, Westminster
Station, Whitingham and Wilmington.
hOW YOUTh FEEl ABOUT hIgh SchOOlAlmost half of youth respondents said their
experience in high school was, or is, “pretty good
most of the time.” One-third said high school was
“okay – not great but not terrible.” Relatively few
reported that high school had been a terrible
experience for them; about one-fifth said it had
been or is a very good experience overall.
Concerns about school – the stresses of home-
work, perceived unfairness by administrators,
worry about graduating on time – was a main
theme for youth. On the other hand, teachers,
guidance counselors and coaches were frequently
cited as sources of support and encouragement.
Percentage of Respondents, by High School Experience
Pretty good most of the time42%
Okay - not great but not terrible33%
Really horrible - a totally bad experience
6%
Overall, a very good experience for me
19%
Figure 2
Number of Respondents, by Age(n=212)
55
48
53
34
19
9
4
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Age 15 Age 16 Age 17 Age 18 Age 19 Age 20 Age 21
Figure 1
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hOW YOUTh FEEl ABOUT ThEIR cOmmUnITIESThe survey asked respondents to rate their
community – where they lived and/or went to
school – on whether it was a good place for
people their age. It also asked them to assess
young people’s chances for success in those
communities. Almost 75% said that their
communities were acceptable or even great
places for young people, while 28% rated their
areas unfavorably (6% called their area a “terrible
place” for young people). A majority agreed that
young people can succeed in their communities
if they are motivated.
Percentage of Respondents, by Perceived Chances of Success
'Any young person in this community who really wants to succeed - to get a good education and a decent job - can find lots of ways to do it.'
Agree45%
Not sure25%
Disagree12%
Strongly disagree2%
Strongly agree16%
Figure 4
Percentage of Youth by Affinity for Community
'I'd say this area is …'
14%
58%
22%
6%a really great place for a kid togrow up
has a few problems, but it'sokay
isn't a great place for peoplemy age
is a really horrible place - Iwould never want my kids togrow up here
Figure 3
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Supporting Youth:Number of Respondents Citing Various Sources
of Support and Encouragement
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
Parents/family School, teachers,guidance
counselors
Friends Siblings/otherrelatives
Social ServiceProgram/staff
Coaches/trainers Other
Figure 5
Supporting Young People: A majority
of youth in the survey said that their parents
and family were main sources of support,
with school staff and friends a distant second
and third. Notably absent were references
to faith communities and faith leaders – a
bit surprising, since national studies indicate
that about quarter of all young people are
actively involved in religious life. There is no
indication that public figures – politicians,
celebrities, or sports heroes – have a positive
impact on youth. While such figures may be
vaguely inspiring, it would seem that for youth,
support is practical, day-to-day, and most of
all, personal. Almost 93% of youth said they
had at least three adults in their lives who they
thought liked and respected them.
YOUTH VOICES: What People or Places Encourage You to Succeed in Life?
School, especially the hope of going to the
WRCC next year for Law Enforcement
because i want to get into the Criminal
Justice field of work. My Mom because she
wants me to be able to do the things that
she didn’t and my sister because she looks
up to me and I want to make good choices,
if not for myself, then for her.
F, 16, S. Newfane
My grandparents and most the peeps at the
boys and girls club. And friends and family.
M, 15, Brattleboro
My girlfriend’s family, because they actually
care about me.
M, 17, Bellows Falls
Personally, high school. The best place
to be is the high school! That’s where
you want to learn and make the most
out of life.
M, 19, Brattleboro
My mom, she is a fantastic person, she is so
smart she is behind me 100% in anything i do.
F, 15, Brattleboro
Well i look at my family & lifestyle that i
am living right now. i have had a hard past
dealing with substance abuse and i just use
that as encouragement that i am doing much
better now.
M, 15, Brattleboro
My case manager, my probation officer and
my friends and family encourage me to
succeed because they think i have a lot
of potential.
F, 18, Putney
SOURcES OF SUPPORT AnD EncOURAgEmEnT FOR YOUng PEOPlE
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0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
Sports Electronicentertainment(movies, video
games,arcade)
Boys & GirlsClub, reccenters
Activities innature
(hunting,fishing,
camping)
Hanging outwith friends
Arts venues(Tinderbox,NEYT, etc.)
Nothing
Positive Things for Young People to Do in Windham County, by Number of Mentions
Figure 6
Family boys and girls club
staff friends school because
they want me to have a good
life and a good reputation.
F, 17, Bellows Falls
My Mom and Dad so I pick
a good job and do good in
my lifetime.
M, 16, Westminster
Bellows Falls, cause I want to
get out of that town.
F, 19, Bellows Falls
My mother and my
boyfriend I would say
encourage me the most.
In a town like Brattleboro,
you have to work hard to
succeed. There are not
many options here in Brattleboro to help
you make a successful career for yourself, so
you have to push yourself to get to the next
level. You really have to encourage yourself.
F, 20, Brattleboro
Everyone knows everything about all of us,
for better or for worse. in a pinch we’ve
all got each other’s backs. I’ve found a
tremendous amount of support from friends
and strangers alike in all of my endeavors.
F, 19, Brattleboro
My friends encourage me to be more suc-
cessful because I don’t want to be like them.
M, 17, Brattleboro
The place that encourages me is the library
because you can find good books that can
help you get through tough times.
M, 15, Bellows Falls
What the county Offers Youth:
This survey question, ‘What are the good
things are there for people your age to do
in this area? Name things you think are cool
or fun, or that are going to help you achieve
your life goals,’ asked young people to consider
community resources for youth in general.
Interestingly, there was an imperfect
correspondence between what youth
mention as positive community resources,
and what they later said they personally did
in their free time. For instance, there were 126
references to sports and athletic activities as
positive activities for youth, but only 79 youth
actually said they did such activities in their
free time. The same was true of community
youth centers: more youth cited them as good
places for young people than actually said
they made use of them themselves. There
are several possible explanations for this
discrepancy. One is that young people assume
their peers are engaging in certain activities
to a greater extent than they are; another
is that youth are good at recognizing
positive resources in the abstract, though
circumstances in their own lives may prevent
them from taking advantage of them.
Other “good things” mentioned were going
downtown (23); cafés (3); library (4); school
(9); restaurants (8); shops downtown (7); tat-
too shop (2); and music store (1).
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YOUTH VOICES: What Good Things Are Available Locally for People Your Age?
Not really much to do in westminster but in
bellows falls you could go to the movies.
F, 16, Bellows Falls
For life goals, Vermont Adult Learning! But
in general things to do are lacking. There are
not any healthy activities for people my age.
You can swim, bowl, and ski/snowboard. A lot
of kids resort to partying for entertainment
which leads to a lot of drug and alcohol
abuse.
F, 19, Brattleboro
The only thing that i can think of is going
to the bowling ally and thats only friday and
saturday night its fun. other than that there
really is not that much thing to do here.
F, 18, Brattleboro
The Tinder Box Dance Music and arts!
Nonviolence, Harmony Parking lot as a
hangout. Gallery walk. Observation of Arts
Culture! Brattleboro fest, Freedom and
games, general altruism.
M, 21, Brattleboro
Hang out at the boys and girls
club, hang around down town/
harmony parking lot, going to
the movies, any after school
sports or clubs.
F, 18, Vernon
There is nothing that is fun or
cool in this area that will help
me achieve my goals.
M, 16, Bellows Falls
There are solid athletic
programs at the youth level
that will assist me in possibly
grabbing an athletic scholarship.
M, 17, Bellows Falls
There aren’t really many things to do, there
is NEYT of course but that takes money
and you have to be an actor. i guess there
is the boys and girls club but that’s not for
everyone. there really isn’t much to do.
F, 15, Dummerston
Nothing really... You can go to the
community center in Bellows Falls, but
I don’t know what else there is to do.
If you like the outdoors you can:
Mountain bike, ski, snowboard.
M, 17, Bellows Falls
The good thing here in this town is the
boys and girls club.
F, 15, Brattleboro
In this area you can go to the skate park, hang
out down town, or go swimming for $10.
F, 15, Wilmington
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People and Places that Worry and Upset Youth: Number of Respondents Citing Sources of Concern
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
School-related Peers who aredrug-using,violent, or
threatening
Peers who arenegative about
the future
Nothing upsetsme
Physicalenvironment of
community
Family Drugs
Figure 7
The top three concerns of survey respondents
were pressures and dissatisfaction related to
school; peers who use drugs, or are violent
or threatening; and the negative attitudes of
peers. Concern about the prevalence of drug
use in general, disconnected to any particular
group, was also high. In addition, many youth,
particularly from the Bellows Falls area, said
the physical environment of their communities
was depressing or even frightening.
YOUTH VOICES: What People or Places Upset, Worry, or Drag You Down?
The homophobic kids in my school make me
very upset and feel down.
Transgender, 17, Brattleboro
The punks in town that go around and beat
on everyone because there isn’t any thing
else to do.
M, 18, Bellows Falls
School drags me down because classes are
not interesting, school also upsets me be-
cause i can’t go down the hall without getting
in trouble or being watched where ever i go.
M, 17, Brattleboro
People who are so negative, it just brings me
down to a point where i cant do anything.
F, 15, Brattleboro
Party spots in the woods with acquaintances.
M, 18, Brattleboro
People that worry me and drag me down
would be some of the administrators in my
school. I am not saying i don’t like them
because of what they do. i don’t have a
problem with them bringing discipline to the
school i just think that most of the decisions
they make are poor.
F, 16, Brattleboro
No one and no places really bring me down,
but I don’t like how some kids (“gangsters,”
that’s what they act like) hang around
corners smoking and swearing so everyone
can hear it. I usually don’t like to walk down
that street because I think that they are
talking about me or that their going to
start something.
F, 15, Brattleboro
People that are smoking downtown, because
I know they are making a wrong choice.
M, 16, Brattleboro
My house because there is always yelling
and fighting.
F, 17, Bellows Falls
The town of westminster and bellows fall
make me upset because there is nothing to
do! I’m always bored.
F, 15, Westminster
My mother cause she moved to a different
state so i worry if she is ok.
M, 15, Brattleboro
My family when we argue because me and
my family are really close and it bothers me
when there’s arguments. And sometimes i get
upset when i am home because i live so far
away that i feel suffocated and i can’t always
leave my house when i need space.
M, 18, Brattleboro
Harmony parking lot has become a place
that welcomes violence instead of an
enjoyable place to hang out with a relaxed
atmosphere as it once was.
F, 18, Putney
SOURcES OF cOncERn AnD WORRY FOR YOUng PEOPlE
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The stairs in town … they’re just creepy.
F, 17, Westminster Station
The town, because it is full of people who do
not care about anything.
M, 17, Bellows Falls
The president, I have many issues with how
we’re handling the war on terror and war in
iraq, it worries me wondering when America
will finally anger a nation or group of people
into retaliating against us.
M, 21, Brattleboro
The new social climate of Brattleboro
is really bringing me down. It is all very
negative as opposed to the freespirit hippie
vibe we had going on for a little while. Now
it is about how tough you are, how many
drugs you can sell, and pardon me for saying,
how much *hit you can talk. It is a bad bad
vibe that is going on, and it is mostly found in
the downtown area which used to be a place
of great excitement for me. Now I avoid it as
much as possible.
F, 20, Brattleboro
People who are intolerant of others really
make me mad. I have witnessed older men
beating up some younger kids because “they
were hippies”. Also, the police can really
abuse their power. i know of someone who
was arrested for being in a parking garage
because he was supposedly banned. i think
that they have nothing better to do so they
sometimes harass the younger people.
M, 18, Putney
The police drag me down because I’m black
and they are always trying to find something
to lock me up for.
M, 17, Brattleboro
Drugs, because they’re big around here.
M, 15, Wilmington
Harmony lot makes me feel anxious. Too
much crap happens here, and it’s in danger of
outweighing all the good the lot has to offer.
Depending on who you ask, people love it
or hate it. But it’s a part of everyone’s life
and we have to deal. The police have really
questionable intentions; i know a few of
the good ones and hear all kinds of horror
stories about the abuse and the unnecessary
intimidation. Do your job, but don’t bug the
kids who aren’t doing anything.
F, 19, Brattleboro
Bars and some of the people who hang out
in brattleboro worry me because of the way
people act to you sometimes. i feel unsafe
sometimes.
M, 17, Townshend
A big place and experience that has in
the past worried me and dragged me
down was big schools with hundreds of
people per grade. For me as a learner i like
a small school where you can know your
teachers on an individual basis. I have gone
to big schools before and they have caused
me so much trouble i have homeschooled
rather than endure it.
M, 17, Brattleboro
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How Youth Spend Their Free Time: Number of Respondents Citing Various Activities
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Hang out withfriends
Sports,athleticactivities
Electronicentertainment
Nature activities Have a job Creative/artisticpursuits
Free Time: Like young people everywhere,
Windham County youth report spending a
great deal of their free time hanging
out friends, doing nothing in particular.
Sports and athletic activities, sometimes
organized and sometimes casual, were also
a highly popular pastime for youth, especially
when outdoors activities such as hiking or
camping are considered in the same category.
As to what they wished they could be doing,
an overriding theme for youth was the desire
for more places to be together – at night, on
the weekends, indoors and outdoors, for low
cost or free. Older youth in particular cited
a need for more places appropriate for their
age group – nightlife venues with dancing
and music, where they are allowed to take
responsibility for their own behavior without
suspicious adults monitoring them or assuming
the worst. Fourteen youth cited a need for
more recreational activities, and 11 said they
wished they had jobs.
YOUTH VOICES: How do you spend your time free? Do you wish you could be doing something else?
With my free time, I usually hangout in town
with my friends doing nothing. I wish there
were more stores or a boys and girls club
like brattleboro.
F, 15, Westminster
Hangout with friends, I wish there more
things to do in bellows falls.
F, 18, Bellows Falls
Homework, hang out with friends. I used to
do drugs, I think our community needs to
work on that issue, because it seemed to me
like that was the only thing to do. And then I
got in trouble for it.
M, 18, Putney
I read and do as much school work as I can
so I can graduate on time. I listen to music
and hang out with my friends too. I wish
there was a bowling alley around here.
That would be fun.
F, 17, Bellows Falls
WhAT YOUng PEOPlE DO WITh ThEIR FREE TImE, AnD WhAT ThEY WAnT TO BE DOIng
Figure 8
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In my free time I hang out in parking lots
with friends or I watch movies at my house.
I wish there was a place for kids to hang out
at night.
F, 20, Brattleboro
I wish there were a place that I
could exercise.
F, 15, W. Brattleboro
I work and hang with some friends. I wish I
could rock climb and white water raft.
M, 17, Guilford
I smoke a lot of weed every day. I wish there
were more productive things to do in town
but there is simply nothing.
M, 20, Putney
I hang out with my friends and try to do as
much physical stuff as possible. I wish there
was more stuff to do.
F, 15, Wilmington
I play hacky sack and just have good
conversations downtown with friends. I
also go to music show sat the tinderbox on
weekends and friends houses. I think there
could be a lot more to do but adults make
the kids feel like they’re doing something
wrong even when they are not.
M, 18, Brattleboro
I read and paint. But I want to do more
things in the community, more hands on
things. Volunteer for projects.
F, 17, Bellows Falls
Some kids have too much time on their
hands and they get involved with some
pretty bad people, and things.
F, 15, Wilmington
Every youth respondent was asked to name
three things that his or her community could
do to make the area better for young people.
The question was open-ended, meaning
that youth were free to offer whatever
suggestions they wished. Answers were
grouped into broad categories, which appear
below under the ‘Youth Voices’ headings. The
number of youth naming the particular issue
is given in parentheses, followed by selected
quotes from the surveys.
YOUTH VOICES: More Things to Do
TOTAL SAYING: Create more activities for us in general. (66)
We’d like to spend time together, in a safeplace. (55)
Make drugs not the #1 thing for teens to do
in Brattleboro.
M, 18, Putney
Make more places for us to go to keep us
out of the streets and let us hang out with
our friends and have fun.
M, 17, Brattleboro
Have more places to hang out safely.
M, 16, Brattleboro
Allow to congregate in public places like the
harmony parking lot.
F, 15, Putney
Create a place for Gay, Bi, Tran, etc. youth
to hang.
Transgender, 17, Brattleboro
Have more open things that don’t cost too much
or anything at all.
F, 18, Brattleboro
More structured places to hang out for all ages.
M, 18, Brattleboro
Think more outside the box.
M, 18, Brattleboro
YOUTH VOICES: More Recreational Facilities & Activities
TOTAL SAYING:More after-school sports and other activities (28)
More or expanded youth programs/venues, suchas a bigger B&G Club or new YMCA (22)
Mentions of ‘skate park’ (20)
Mentions of ‘rec center’ (15)
Outdoor facilities, such as more or better parks,walking trails, and playgrounds (12)
New or expanded recreational facilities, unspecified (10)
Swimming pools/community beaches (4)
Other activities mentioned
Bike park
Go-Kart track (2)
Park (2)
Amusement park (1)
Indoor roller skating rink
UFC camp
Ice skating
Free snowboard/skiing
Frisbee
Batting cages
Laser tag
Better summer programs (2)
Weekend activities
Horseback riding
mAkIng cOmmUnITIES BETTER FOR YOUng PEOPlE
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Add a skate park FOR ALL AGES.
M, 19, Brattleboro
Start a basketball team other than school.
F, 16, S. Newfane
Better athletic facilities, not just programs.
M, 17, Bellows Falls
Allow rollerblading and skateboarding, etc.
F, 18, Brattleboro
More organized sports but less competitive.
M, 17, Brattleboro
Make risk-taking things like rock climbing.
M, 17, Guilford
Indoor roller skating rink (they are so
much fun).
F, 17, Jamaica
Give more money to the rusty ass boys
and girls club.
M, 17, Brattleboro
Have more athletic places close.
F, 16, Westminster
Maybe rentals of skate boards, bikes, and
other thing to use in the park.
M, 15, Brattleboro
YOUTH VOICES: More Entertainment & Retail Places
TOTAL SAYING:Music/dance/concert venues for young people (24)
Malls/more businesses (15)
Cinemas, more/cheaper (11)
More fast food (7)
Coffee shops (2)
Others places mentioned
Teen-oriented stores, such as GameStop
Arcades
More commercial industry
More urbanization
More skate/snowboard shops
Theme park (2)
Not so much fast food
Movie night at kipling cinema all students get
in free on wednesday.
M, 15, Brattleboro
Better night life for young people without
the harsh restrictions and reminders of how
young we are. Ex: instead of having a place
that says “fun activities to do without
drinking” … automatically lame. I am not
saying that underage people should be al-
lowed to be intoxicated, but just that
statement automatically says, “adults are
watching,” “we are too young to do
anything.” People need freedom, and if
they cannot handle the freedom, then
the consequences should be applied.
F, 20, Brattleboro
More things to do for fun, physical exercise,
music shows and other things at night.
M, 16, Putney
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YOUTH VOICES: Adults Should Try to Like Us More
TOTAL SAYING:
Adults in general (19)
Police (10)
Remember what it’s like to be a teenager
and younger kid.
M, 18, Brattleboro
Meet the cops.
M, 17, Westminster
Give teenagers a break we are not always up
to no good.
F, 16, Brattleboro
Be more open minded about youth, don’t
just label them delinquents.
F, 18, Vernon
Shopkeepers shouldn’t automatically expect
all teenagers who come into stores will
steal things.
F, 15, Putney
Some adults could think of teenagers as
good nice people.
M, 16, Brattleboro
Be nice and smile.
M, 16, Brattleboro
Get better cops.
M, 17, Bellows Falls
Terminate the 5 new Police positions that
were created.
M, 20, Brattleboro
Make police harassment toward teenagers
more known.
M, 18, Putney
Stop the racism by police.
M, 16, Brattleboro
Just start caring more and go the extra mile.
M, 18, Brattleboro
YOUTH VOICES: Better Education & Schools
TOTAL SAYING:
Improve the schools - physical condition, quantity/quality of classes and teachers (22)
More types of educational opportunities, suchas alternative education (4)
More/better sex/drug education (2)
Other
College tour
College scholarships (2)
More career programs (2)
Less homework
Later school start time (2)
Better mental health awareness programs in
and out of school
More tutors in school
Get walls in my school.
M, 16, Bellows Falls
Build up the school a little better.
F, 15, Bellows Falls
More school scholorships/jobs for teens
especially with low income.
F, 15, Brattleboro
Have a place for the drama department.
M, 17, Townshend
Fund the schools.
M, 15, Brattleboro
Update the technology of the schools. Do
things to make the schools look better.
M, 15, Townshend
YOUTH VOICES: More Job Opportunities
TOTAL SAYING:
Help us find more/ better jobs. Be willing tohire us. (26)
Provide job training/internships. (4)
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Other
Better salaries (2)
Have a career center
Reduce working age from 15 to 14
Show local businesses that want to hire
young workers.
M, 15, Townshend
Reach out and make more jobs.
F, 19, Brattleboro
More job training for teens.
F, 15, Brattleboro
YOUTH VOICES: Clean Up the Community
TOTAL SAYING:
Clean up rubbish/trash (16)
Fix decay and blight (5)
Clean up the streets.
M, 17, Bellows Falls
Try to get people to think that downtown
isn’t a scummy place to hang out.
F, 17, Brattleboro
Try and stop all vandalism.
M, 18, Bellows Falls
Clean up trash and rubbish that we all have
to look at.
M, 17, Wilmington
Make it look nicer.
F, 16, Townshend
Clean up parts of the town.
M, 20, Whitingham
YOUTH VOICES: Get Together as a Community
TOTAL SAYING: Work/play together as a community. (11)
Get more people involved in the
community, such as events and
celebrations during holidays.
M, 17, Westminster Station
Have a soup kitchen or something like it
giving people food and kids the opportunity
to help out with their environment.
F, 17, Brattleboro
Have more community gatherings (potlucks,
festivals, dance parties...).
M, 20, Brattleboro
Walkaton or bikathon?
F, 17, S. Newfane
More things like Brattfest.
M, 20, Brattleboro
Lots more positive attitude.
M, 15, Bellows Falls
Hold charity events.
F, 17, Brattleboro
Have more outside activities to bring the
community together.
F, 15, Wardsboro
YOUTH VOICES: Deal with the Drug Problem
TOTAL SAYING: Reduce drug use/help youth stay off or getaway from drugs. (19)
Reduce the drugs and bad influences around
brattleboro...too many druggies.
F, 15, Brattleboro
Try do reduce the number of groups of kids
that smoke downtown. Like more cops or
watch people.
F, 15, Brattleboro
Less bars.
F, 17, Jamaica
Not do drugs and drug dealings in harmony
parking lot.
M, 16, Brattleboro
Keep a closer watch on kids who choose to
drink or do drugs.
F, 17, S. Newfane
Sell less cigarettes so people won’t die.
M, 15, Bellows Falls
Crack down on drugs.
M, 17, Bellows Falls
Diversion board should have ex-drug
users/alcoholics.
M, 18, Putney
YOUTH VOICES: Adults Should Get Involved
TOTAL SAYING:
Seek youth input and ideas (3)
Reach out and help us with our tasks (jobs, education, etc.) (5)
Other (5)
Volunteer at boys and girls club
M, 15, Brattleboro
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Big brother big sisters
F, 18, Vernon
Bring back freespirited mentors.
F, 20, Brattleboro
Try and show a more positive image from
the adults.
F, 17, Bellows Falls
Help out at local schools.
M, 17, Brattleboro
Talk to and listen to kids.
M, 16, Brattleboro
YOUTH VOICES: Safety
TOTAL SAYING:
Reduce violence (7)
More/more effective police presence /metal detectors (6)
Reduce crime (2)
More police presence.
M, 17, Bellows Falls
Make the area safer.
F, 21, Westminster Station
YOUTH VOICES: Transportation & Basic Needs
TOTAL SAYING:
Better/more/cheaper public transportation (11)
More social services (such as mental healthservices) (2)
Other (8)
More resources for kids to get help with
getting their life on track.
F, 20, Brattleboro
Smoother roads.
M, 16, Westminster
Have transportation more available.
F, 15, Putney
Get a grocery store.
M, 16, Brattleboro
YOUTH VOICES: Leadership
TOTAL SAYING: Help create youth empowerment/leadershipopportunities. (4)
Talk to young people my age and understand
us to figure out what could be done.
M, 16, Brattleboro
More ways to involve teens in making
decisions about their community.
F, 15, Brattleboro
YOUTH VOICES: Low-cost Lessons
TOTAL SAYING: Create low-cost opportunities for us to pursue creative activities/ hobbies. (7)
More music education for a good price.
F, 20, Brattleboro
Support for independent art and music.
F, 19, Brattleboro
I would really like to see more support for
photography in the town; the in-sight gallery
is great, but it’s the only one.
F, 19, Brattleboro
YOUTH VOICES: Younger Kids
TOTAL SAYING:
Younger kids need more to do and more places to go – parks, organized activities, etc. (7)
More playgrounds for younger kids, with
more stuff in the playground.
F, 17, Bellows Falls
Cub scouts for the youngins.
M, 16, Brattleboro
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BELLOW FALLS
These beautiful flowers really bring out the beauty in Bellows Falls.
People hang shoes on telephone wires when people they know die.
Dari Joy is a place we can be with family and friends to go eat food and ice cream. When Spring comes all of the people get excited
because that is when Dari Joy opens.
Vandalism or a moving Canvas?
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WILMINGTON
They say that this is a skate park, but when you look at it, it’s just a dumb ramp. We need something more flashy, modern and bigger!
A lot of people resort to these no matter what age from pressure stress or thinking its cool.
I’ll collect anything with wolfs on it because they are like me. They don’t like being messed with and they don’t stay in one spot for a long time.
This statue resembles the proud fighters, soldiers, and defenders of this country knowing that they will always take arms and risk their lives to protect this country. A lot of the teens from this town join the military to make a difference.
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WEST RIVER VALLEY
We live in a beautiful area, but in rural VT, nothing exciting is very near and with little transportation, there’s not much to do.
There are a few people who always trash the road I live on. They toss out their beer cans, bottles cigarette packs and fast food wrappers. It makes me mad, what’s the point of trashing such a beautiful area?
A scene near Williamsville.
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BRATTLEBORO
Shows how the community can work together to turn something ugly into something better.
Many of the youth are faced with this image daily. We need to change that!
Music is something I am learning, but I also love to listen to music; it helps me get past tough times.
Youth need room to grow. Communities need room to grow. We all need to learn how to grow together.
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New England Network for Child, Youth & Family Services
Cindy Carraway-Wilson Andi Waisman Melanie Wilson
NEN PO Box 35 Charlotte, VT 05445 Ph: 802.425.3006 www.nenetwork.org